Number 205 - June 2000

FILES, FILES, FILES
by Jean Wilcox, Apr 2000 SunCoast Beeper. St Petersburg, FL
Win95 and Win98 share many of the same files but there are a large number of them that are distinctly identified with each version, I recently discovered that the sum of the files, and thus filenames, that are specifIc to these two versions of Windows total something over 1,150. Do you know what each of them does? Does anyone of us here know without doing some serious and time-consuming investigation? I very much doubt it.     So what do you do when you need to identify one particular file, perhaps to satisfy yourself that it is indeed a Windows file and not something another application has inserted into your operating system? Or when you get an error message mentioning a misbehaving file and you have no idea what to do about it because you don't have the slightest clue as to what it does? I didn't know, either, but I know now how to find out very quickly and easily.     There is an Internet site, easydesksoftware.com, where you can obtain your very own copy of a list of every single one of these enigmatically named little numbers, each complete with a short description of what it does. This thing carries the possibility of quick fixes to all sorts of problems. I betcha the guy who answers the computer questions in Monday morning's technology section of the paper has a copy just like it. I suggest you truck on over there and save the .html page that contains this data. You will find it endlessly useful, I know.     You can also find a glossary of terms at this site, a list of error messages and how to resolve them an article explaining what .DLLs are, how to repair your registry using their software, and many more useful items. Ah, hah! Did you notice the operable phrase I snuck in there? "Their software"? Of course it's a commercial venture, and of course they would like for you to buy some of their merchandise. But they appear more than willing to share a bunch of stuff free, so you'll be doing yourself a favor to take advantage of their generosity. Aside from selling utility software, they offer tech support by the hour, fifty bucks an hour as I recall. But if you don't need that, don't buy that.     If any of you are unable for whatever reason to get downloads of this information, I'll be sure to bring a copy to the meeting. That way, you can bring a floppy and we'll make short work of the transfer. In next month's newsletter, assuming all goes well, I'll give a run-down on all those peculiar files you've found in the root directory. Do you delete them or leave them alone? Leave them alone another month and we'll be better able to assess the situation then.	All of this just reminded me of another problem that comes up very often regarding Windows files. Most of us, and probably all, have third party applications on our computers, programs other than those written by the gnomes at Microsoft. More often than we would like to believe, when some of these programs are installed, newer versions of important system files manage to get replaced by older ones.     I have mentioned before how generous Mr. Gates's minions have been with utility programs included with your operating system. Here is another example of a potentially life-saving little module for users of Windows 98. It's called the Version Conflict Manager. While you're thinking about it, go to your Desktop, click Start, click Run, then type VCMUI. You don't even need an extension, and no, I don't know what the final UI in that string represents. Maybe it's User Interface; maybe not.     The application will launch and display a list of possibly troublesome files. "Below is a list of all the files that had a more recent version number or were in a different language before Windows 98 was installed" is printed across the top of the window that opens. That's followed by, "To restore specific files, select them from the list and click the Restore Selected Files button. The Windows 98 version of the file will be backed up so that it can be restored later."     There are four columns called File, Backup Date, Backed up Version, and Current Version. The filenames will be in the first column, of course, and the others will contain the information you'll need to make a judgment call about what to do about any situation you encounter. If, as they appear to be saying, whatever you change will be backed up just as any unknown earlier changes have been, then it would appear to present little or no danger of injuring yourself. If you don't like what happens after you make a change, go back and undo it.     If you have been having problems of some sort, taking a look at this screen may give you a clue as to what might be causing it. Otherwise it's just an interesting experiment and another opportunity to familiarize yourself with all the strange stuff going on under the covers without your knowledge or consent. All I could find was that my mouse driver appears to have been changed. I never noticed any difference so I'll just leave it be. Life is sweet.
Number 205 - June 2000